Page:Historical records of Port Phillip.djvu/87

EARLY RECORDS OF PORT PHILLIP. . 75 H.M. Ship Calcutta, at anchor at Eio Janeiro, June 30, 1803, South America, Sth. Pacific Ocean. Wed. 29. Wind E. b. N. p.m. — At 30 past 1 sprung up a breeze from the S.E. ; made all possible sail for the harbour of Rio Janeiro. At 4 passd the outer islands ; found Island Rondo and Flat Island of Rio Janeiro in one W.S.W. ; Maya and Paya in one N.E. b. E. and S.W. b. W. At 6 passed Gamba Isld. At 7 a light breezes ; Fahoon (the i)ilot) came on board and took charge of the ship. At 8 passed Santa Cruz Fort. At 30 past 9 came too with the best bower in 17 fthm. abrest the palace. Patronmore^ the Harbour Master. Thursday^ 30. Wind varbl. a.m. — Light airs and variable ; at day- light had the following bearings : Sugar Loaf S. b. E., spire of the Benedictine Convent West, Isle of Enchardos, on which is the ruins of a monastery, N.W. W., Fort Santa Cruz S.E. S., and a large white building on the opposite side of the harbour N.E. E. Found here the Honble. Company's Ship Lord Castlereigh (Capt. Robinson) and an English whaler, a Portuguese line-of-battle ship and a number of mer- chantmen. P.M. — Do. wr. Mr. McDougal was the first mate in the Ld. Cas., and very intimate with my friend Lieut. Colin McDonald, Royal Navy. Lat. obsd. 22° 52' S. Friday. — The To-rti of St. Sebastian (or as it is more commonly named the Town of Rio de Janeiro, which was in fact the name of the river forming the bay, on the western side of which was built the town) is large. The palace of the Viceroy stood in the Royal Square, of which, together with the public prison, the Mi7it and the Opera House, it formed the right wing. The Hospital, which had formerly been a Jesuit's Convent, stood near the summit of the hill at the back of the town. Senor Ildefonse (he was frequently with our party, and din'd with Capt. Woodriffe, Col. Collins, Mr. Tuckey and self at John Rodriguers Pereson de Almeida ; Mr. Mordaunt, lives at the same house). Senor Ildefonse was the principal surgeon in the place. He studied in England. The English surgeons are held in high reputation. The town of Rio de Janeiro was said to contain not less than 100,000 souls, of which 40,000 are slaves brought from the Coast of Ginnea. With these people of both sexes the streets are constantly fiUd, scarcely any other people being seen in the day. Ladies and gentlemen were never seen on foot in the streets during the day, those whose business led them out being carried in close chairs, the pole of which came from the head of the vehicle and rested on the shoulders of the chairmen. The language spoken here by the white people was Portuguese. The eclesiastics in general could converse in Latin — they pronounce it very differently to the English pronunciation. The Negro slaves spoke a corrupt mixture of their own and Portuguese language. The town was well supplied with water, which was conveyed into it from a great distance by means of an aqueduct (or carioca) which, having to cross a road or public way, was raised upon a double row of lofty arches ; from this aqueduct the water was received into stone fountains, con- structed with capacious basins; here the inhabitants have their linen washed by their slaves, near the Convent of the Antonian monks. We also observed several large and rich convents in the town. The chief